Ex Libris brings more reading recommendations from a broad cross-section of staff volunteers. Our goal is to showcase Raynor Memorial Libraries’ Browsing Collection and to identify a broad range of contemporary fiction and nonfiction for the general reader. In addition to staff choices, we selected a notable author from alumni ranks, new books by members of the faculty, and two recent prizewinners. recent prizewinning author. All readers in the Marquette community are invited to suggest books, or better, to write a brief review for Ex Libris. If you missed an alert, earlier issues of Ex Libris are available online.
Clicking on the title or cover image will take you to the book's MARQCAT record; please note locations carefully as items may be in the Browsing Collection (Raynor 1st level) or in the Memorial stacks. Books that are checked out may be reserved by clicking on the blue recall/hold button at the top or bottom of the MARQCAT record.
Khaled Hosseini (Riverhood Books, 2007)
By the same author as the international best-seller The Kite Runner, this book provides another look at life in Afghanistan by focusing on the condition of women. Hosseini’s novel spans a 30 year period which includes life under the invading Soviets, the civil warring of Afghani groups, oppressive Taliban rule, and post-9/11 society. The novel centers on two women, Mariam and Laila, who are from different backgrounds, but face the same societal oppression and violent home life. In spite of the many obstacles, they forge a deep friendship. This is a beautifully written book dealing with love, friendship, family, compassion, sacrifice and hope. It also tells of the Afghani people’s suffering, bringing attention to this troubled part of the world. An important and moving book.
Recommended by Rose Trupiano, Research & Outreach Librarian
Amy Bloom (Random House, c2007)
Amy Bloom’s latest novel is about a young Jewish woman who flees Russia in 1924 following a pogrom that killed her husband and parents, and separated her from her three-year old daughter. Lillian arrives in New York with no money and barely speaking English. She manages to find a job as a seamstress in the Lower East Side’s Yiddish theater district, and becomes involved with a wealthy theater owner and his son. She is haunted by nightmares of the violence she witnessed in her village and dreams of her lost daughter. Her cousin arrives in New York and tells her that her daughter survived the massacre and was taken to Siberia. Determined to find her, Lillian begins a long odyssey across the United States to Alaska, where she hopes to cross the Bering Strait into Siberia and find her daughter. She experiences physical hardship as she travels by train, boat, mule, canoe, and by foot through much of Alaska, being robbed, beaten and jailed during her journey. As the story progresses, the reader is transported into Lillian’s world of adventure and hardship, admiring her determination and survival skills, wanting to know if her journey is successful. The author gives us a panoramic vision of this quest, while also providing plenty of vivid details that engage our sympathy and hopes in an absorbing and well-written book.
Kristina Starkus, Head, Acquisitions Department
J.A. Konrath (Hyperion, 2007)
Like a long gulp of the titular drink, this fourth Jack Daniels thriller goes down smoothly but kicking. Chicago insomniac homicide cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is up to her ears in family trouble again when a madman dubbed "the Chemist" goes on a poisoning rampage intending to bring the city to its knees. Saddled with an eccentric mom, a father she didn't know she had, a killer house cat, a loyal but suddenly reticent partner, and a marriage proposal, you might think Jack doesn't have time to mess with crazed mass murderers, but you'd be wrong. The Chemist soon develops a bizarre relationship with Jack, toying with her in "Dirty Harry" style even as he targets cops all around her with his deadly traps. Narrating in a deadpan comic pseudo-noir first person that alternates with the Chemist's creepy point of view, Konrath will keep you in stitches even as the killer parades around the city, dosing random innocents with rare toxins and diseases. Of course, he has a grand finale in mind, but will Jack catch on before it's too late? Konrath's thrillers are sometimes shockingly dark, yet breezy and fun – all action and humor, perfectly laid out for the screenwriter. If you like the taste of this Dirty Martini, stock the bar and mix up a Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, and Rusty Nail, too. Your funny bone may never be the same. And you may never look at a salad bar the same way again, either.
Recommended by Bill Gagliani, Stacks Supervisor
William Gibson (G. P. Putnam’s, 2007)
In Spook Country, sci-fi master Gibson returns to the pop culture present he also wrote about in Pattern Recognition. While the two books share only one minor character, their common ground is an obsession with technology and brands, and an atmosphere of paranoia and unease. This sort-of thriller story follows three main characters. Perhaps foremost, there’s Hollis Henry, a down-and-out freelance journalist trying to research and write about some avant-garde net artists who use GPS technology as part of their medium. Second, there’s Tito, a young KGB-trained Chinese-Cuban spy-operative who delivers goods both to his benefactor, the mysterious old man, and to the old man’s target, Brown, who may or may not be CIA. Last, there’s Milgrim, a drug addict whom Brown drags along because he speaks fluent Russian, as Brown tries to keep track of Tito. Somehow, the plotlines do converge in a prank with international political implications, but also with some resolution for each of the three main characters. This is not Gibson’s best--at times it is confused and confusing. But still it is a Gibson novel, which means that the language is exquisite, and his verbal sketches of our culture’s obsessions are sometimes painful, sometimes delightful.
Recommended by Valerie Beech, Business Reference Librarian
I am America (And So Can You!)
Stephen Colbert (Grand Central Publishing, 2007)
Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report imparts his unique brand of wisdom in his new book, I am America (And So Can You!), winner of the Stephen Colbert Award for Literary Excellence. No topic is safe from Colbert’s satiric scrutiny, including mothers (“As adults we are all imperfect, so that means all mothers are incompetent.”), the trouble with sports (“Sports contain a lot of rules, and I am not a big fan of rules. Let the free market decide what constitutes a touchdown.”), and the emotional cost of education ("Why were you happier when you were a kid? Because you didn’t know anything.") and so much more. When Colbert recently announced his candidacy for president, the book served as a manifesto for the Colbert nation. Be assured that I am America provides you with a good dose of laughter and the feeling of security knowing that Stephen Colbert has vowed to fix what is destroying America.
Recommended by Jean Zanoni, Head of Bibliographic Control
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Chip Heath and Dan Heath (Random House, 2007)
This is a popular business book, useful to anyone who needs to communicate ideas to others. The authors are brothers who, in their different ways (one is an academic; the other a writer and textbook publisher), study what makes ideas memorable, or “sticky,” whether classroom lectures, urban legends, or advertisements. They have defined six principles or characteristics of sticky ideas; their checklist is “a Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credentialed, Emotional Story.” And yes, the acronym for these words is SUCCES! With that checklist already in hand, why would you want to read this book? If crafting memorable ideas were as easy as just following the checklist, there wouldn’t be so many awful ads out there, boring lectures, and so on! In about 250 pages the authors explain and illustrate these principles, and also thoroughly intrigue and amuse the reader. They explain how being an expert (the Curse of Knowledge) makes it difficult to express ideas in ways that non-experts can easily understand and remember. They refer to the “hierarchy of needs” as the basis for emotional appeal, but point out that self-interest is hardly the only emotion that can motivate people. This is a very good book--a quick and easy read, thought-provoking, and with lots of stories.
Recommended by Valerie Beech, Business Reference Librarian
Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women’s Sports
Kathrine Switzer (Carroll & Graf, 2007)
America is currently in the midst of a second great running boom, a resurgence largely led by women. In 2007, 40% percent of the 23,000 registered runners in the prestigious Boston Marathon were women. Forty years ago there was one: K.V. Switzer, an undergraduate journalism major from Syracuse University. In a series of now-famous action photographs, race director Jock Semple attempted to remove Kathrine Switzer's race numbers and eject her from the Boston course. Switzer completed the race and subsequently merged a passion for sport and a professional career. Like baseball and fly-fishing, running is a sport documented by a fine body of excellent writing. Kathrine Switzer's new memoir is an excellent contribution to the sports-history genre. Perhaps just as importantly, though, this book fills a significant void in 20th century women's studies by thoughtfully examining how entrenched societal views about the physical limitations of women were shattered by female athletes. (The famous "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs was not organized until 1973, more than six years after Switzer's inaugural marathon.) Switzer encountered resistance for years--most often from women who had bought into society's myths about "the weaker sex." A major player in lobbying the International Olympic Committee to include distance running events for women, Switzer closes her memoir by describing her television broadcast of Joan Benoit's remarkable victory in the inaugural 1984 Olympic women's marathon. On a muggy day on the Los Angeles freeways, Benoit stunned millions of television viewers by running mile after mile at a staggering 5:16 pace.
Recommended by Matt Blessing, Head of Special Collections and University Archives
John, Paul, George, Ringo & Me: the Real Beatles Story
Tony Barrow (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2005)
Who is Tony Barrow, you ask? He was the Beatles’ Press Officer from 1962 until 1968. Hired by Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, Barrow coined the Beatle nickname, The Fab Four. Barrow’s book describes his experiences in working with a band of four young, aspiring, energetic lads who would later become one of the most influential rock bands ever. Barrow talks about their early Liverpool beginnings, their failed Decca audition, their sudden rise to fame under EMI/Parlophone and George Martin’s direction, and the ensuing “Beatlemania” that swept the U.S. and the rest of the world. Barrow gives us a personal look at each Beatle and recounts his PR work on behalf of the band: dealing with disgruntled fans when Pete Best was fired and Ringo Starr was brought in, handling the negative press and threats when the Beatles performed in Japan and the Philippines, and of course, working to repair the Beatles’ image when John Lennon made his famous “Beatles are more popular than Jesus” comment. The book focuses on the early and mid-career aspects of the Beatles and any Beatles fan (young or old) will enjoy reading about them first-hand.
Recommended by Rose Trupiano, Research & Outreach Librarian
Spotlight on Faculty Authors
Larry Watson (Random House, 2007)
Sundown, Yellow Moon's title is attributed to a Bob Dylan line, "Sundown, yellow moon, I replay the past I know every scene by heart..." The novel's central story grabs the reader from the first pages, as two high school boys walking home from school hear sirens in their 1960s Bismarck, North Dakota, neighborhood. They soon learn of a murder-suicide that will leave a lasting imprint on their lives, as told through the eyes of one of the boys. The narrator is now a writer and writing teacher and, like the song, he replays the story from memory and from imagination, from all sides, probing the many possible explanations and motives, in the process telling a powerful coming-of-age story. Larry Watson joined Marquette's English department in 2003 after teaching writing and literature at UW-Stevens Point for 25 years. At Marquette Watson teaches creative writing and contemporary fiction and poetry. Probably best known for his Montana 1948 (1993), Justice (1995), and his previous novel, Orchard (2003), Sundown is his seventh work of fiction. He recently won the first High Plains Book Award's Emeritus Award; earlier awards include the Milkweed Fiction Prize and two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships.
Recommended by Susan Hopwood, Outreach Librarian
More Books by Faculty
Books on Trial: Red Scare in the Heartland. Shirley A. Wiegand, Law School, and Wayne A. Wiegand (University of Oklahoma Press, 2007)
Coaching Team Basketball: Develop Winning Players with a Team-first Attitude. Tom Crean, Head Men's Basketball Coach, and Ralph Pim (McGraw-Hill, 2007)
From Apocalypticism to Merkabah Mysticism: Studies in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha. Andrei A. Orlov, Department of Theology (Brill, 2007)
Light in a Burning-glass: a Systematic Presentation of Austin Farrer's Theology. Robert Boak Slocum, Department of Theology (University of South Carolina Press, 2007)
Milwaukee's Jesuit University: Marquette, 1881-1981. Thomas J. Jablonsky, Institute for Urban Life (Marquette University Press, 2007)
Prescribing Faith: Medicine, Media, and Religion in American Culture. Claire Hoertz Badaracco, Department of Advertising and Public Relations (Baylor University Press, 2007)
The World News Prism: Global Information in a Satellite Age. William A. Hachten and James F. Scotton, Department of Journalism (Blackwell Pub., 2007)
Spotlight on Alumni Authors
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Margaret Coel (Berkeley Prime Crime, 2007)
Meet MU alumna (Journalism '60) Margaret Coel. This mystery is the 13th in her acclaimed, best-selling series set on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation and featuring a Jesuit priest, Father John O’Malley, and an Arapaho attorney, Vicky Holden. In The Girl with Braided Hair, the skeleton of a young woman is discovered in a dry gully on the Wind River Reservation. Remnants of a long, black braid are mixed with the bones and there is a bullet hole in the skull. Forensics determine the woman was shot to death in 1973, the year of The American Indian Movement. Vicky and Father John are determined to find the identity of the forgotten woman and see that she is laid to rest in the traditional Arapaho Way. As the life and death of the woman begin to come into view, Vicky and Father John realize the killer may be still on the reservation. Coel, a New York Times best-selling author and historian, is a native Coloradan who is considered an expert on the Arapaho Indians. She has also written several works of nonfiction, notably Chief Left Hand, a biography of one of the leaders of the Plains Indians in the mid-1800s. She received Marquette’s 1998 Byline Award, the 2001 Willa Award for Best Novel of the West (The Spirit Woman), and the Colorado Book Award in 2005 and 2006. Margaret Coel writes at her home in Boulder, Colorado, which overlooks the Rocky Mountains. Visit her Web site for more on her career. Recommended by Elizabeth Horn, Library Intern
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Spotlight on Prize Winners
Doris Lessing was recently awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. In its announcement The New York Times described her as “the Persian-born, Rhodesian-raised and London-residing novelist whose deeply autobiographical writing has swept across continents and reflects her engagement with the social and political issues of her time.” Over the past five decades, Lessing’s novels have covered feminism and politics, as well as her youth in Africa. Among her many books in the Libraries' collection are The Golden Notebook, The Good Terrorist, Under My Skin, and Walking in the Shade. The prize committee described Lessing as "that epicist of the female experience, who with skepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny." She is the eleventh woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. At 88, Lessing has just published her latest novel, The Cleft (HarperCollins, 2007).
Irish author Anne Enright won the 2007 Man Booker Prize for her novel The Gathering (Jonathan Cape, 2007), in which a brother’s suicide prompts 39-year old Veronica Hegarty to probe her family’s troubled history. Howard Davies, the chairman of the judges’ panel, described The Gathering as an “unflinching look at a grieving family in tough and striking language.” The Booker prize is Britain’s best-known literary award, given annually to any full-length novel published in Britain and written in English by a resident of a British Commonwealth country, the Republic of Ireland or Zimbabwe. Enright’s other novels are The Wig My Father Wore (1995), which was shortlisted for the Irish Times/Aer Lingus Irish Literature Prize; What Are You Like? (2000), which won the Royal Society of Authors Encore Prize; and The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch (2002). She also published a collection of stories, The Portable Virgin (London, Secker and Warburg 1991), which won the Rooney Prize that year. Enright, a former television producer and director in Ireland, currently lives and writes in Dublin.